Ectopic expression of a Meloidogyne incognita dorsal gland protein in tobacco accelerates the formation of the nematode feeding site

Meloidogyne spp., plant-parasitic nematodes present worldwide, are intensively studied because of the damage caused to a large variety of agronomically important crops. Several reports indicate that proteins from the Meloidogyne spp. dorsal gland might play an important role to allow proper establishment of a functional nematode feeding site. The precise role of these proteins in the process of feeding cell development is unknown. To gain insights into the function of these secreted M. incognita proteins, we constitutively (ectopically) expressed the nematodes dorsal gland protein 7E12 in tobacco plants. It was found that the number of galls at 8 and 16 days after nematode infection was significantly higher in transgenic plants compared to control plants. Eggs from nematodes in transgenic plants hatched faster than those in control plants. Histological analysis of nematode induced galls in transgenic plants clearly shows a different morphology. Giant feeding cells harbor more vacuoles and an increased amount of cell wall invaginations, while neighboring cells surrounding feeding cells are more numerous. These results suggest that the presence of the 7E12 protein in tobacco accelerates gall formation. This assumption is supported by our data illustrating faster gall formation and egg eclosion in transgenic plants.